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Al Capone — Part 36
Page 51
51 / 62
been
nen
to conviet Capone seemed a simple
matter, And po, thirty minutes after
the murder, © general onder was
figshod to oll police stations te ar
reat him,
But Al Capone was nowhere to be
found, and at the (aquest the next
day the witnesses to the crime ware
all stricken with mysterious ally
ments. “Helule Jacobs thought It
over, ‘Then he took the witness
siand and testified as follows:
“T was called to @ rear room to
answer @ telephone just before the
shooting. I don’t ‘know nothing
about it”
Runelsbeck quiveringly fastated:
“1 wouldn't be able to Mentity
Capone even if brought face to face
with hisn.”
Bilton could not be found. Two
other possible witnesses to the ki!!-
ing, wuld to have been in Jacobe’
talon et the time, were Tony
“Mouth” Bagnola and one Ciitlord
Faton. Both denied having been
‘there, ond no one could give proof
to the eontrarp,
The inquest hed to be continued
Sndefinitly, and @ month later, when
things had quieted down, Capone
sauntered into the Cottage Grove
police station to remgrk to Captain
‘McMahon
“Theat the police are looking for
me. What for?*
a> The ones, ee gd
be questioned by a young assistant
state's pttorney named Willlam HL
MeSwlagin.
sei for the murder of
Joe Howard,” sald McSwiggin,
“Who, me?” raplied Al with a
puvzied look. "Why, I'm a respecta.
ble tusinewe man. I'm «second:
brad fienttire dealer.”
This was tn 1923, after the pork-
faced Capone already waa well
lo success, How was he
abie to fix the witnesses so purely
that he could walk info th» hands
Of the puiice a few weeks later with:
out tke slightest fear of teking the
rap?) What wee hie background?
What sort of Wrai.ing qualified this
man (0 win out over ell others in
the frevis T gerarble 0 wontec) the
360000000 x year bootleg liquor busi:
ness which started with the advent
of prohibition in @ cily that war
Teivamy photo)
Alphonse Capone, boss criminal, af the height of hit caresr, Capone's
First ial
ross was $26,000 a ye:
already a quarter
to ® and Al fol:
lowed an fron:
bound rule about
xoing home at
10:30,
“Un tay twe
hundred ona
game of straight,”
Proposed Al to the
coafdant slicker,
“Want to play
met”
“It's a bet.”
grinned t
“How about a
hundred more on
the fifteen ball?
0. K.,." said Al.
‘The two set 10
work, ‘The specta:
tors peered excit:
edly from adjoin.
dag tanto. By
3950 AT ha she
$800 back and
of the stranger's
money--apd then
he ssid he must
0, ax he was due
home. The stran-
ger wae naturally
Feeenttu] at being left in this hu
millzting porition and demanded
that Al remain, but Al put on hig
coat and smooth gray hat.
Without a word (he stranger
pulled a long-bladed knite from his
pocket, opened it, and guve Al to
understand he'd play poo! or else!
AS did not hesitate one second. His
right + - gut to the man’s chin
with al! his 200 pounds benind it
The man dropped ant lay motion
eas. Ab ian for hon
Twenty minutes later a misin
formed triend from the povltoom
85 & partner of Johnny Torrie
Seon his orgenteation was dealing in mitlons.
Courtroom scene at trial af Sam Vinci for the
Krueger, Vinel, Deputy Sherif William Gallagher,
the beer and boote busi-
He meant It, and shartiy sold his
a fob In a café. He a
how to turn hie
Irlendehips with “Bathhouce John”
and “Hinky Dink” into « golden
Inying: yoose, and tn short order
he owned his own poolroom. 4 year
oF two tater saw young Jimi a pre
cinet captain with various priviteges
‘appertaining to the old levee datrict
located within the boundaries ef the
ward and bisected! by the mightelifi
Whoopee spots of 2ad street. Prov
pootroom proprietor he became
honkytonk owner, then vartner in
{Tribwae shoto.)
murder of John Mina’
Left to right:
ind (standing) Vinci's attorney, Fra
cerlain red-light enterprises, and
Snally Big Jim of his own Coloshy,
mo's café at 712 South Wabesdt
avenue 3
Eventually Bis Jim became tbe
acknowledged boss of the south side
underwortd, and Ws revenue ame
not only from the resorts he owned,
himself but aléo in the fori of trib
ule from all otter illega! resorts 1
the district
But wealth brought with It hoth
nt and complications Big
Jim wae viclimized hy the American
f
z
a
AE
3
aie ata ib
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